Machine Guns & Automatic Firearms in Colorado

Colorado generally prohibits the knowing possession of a “dangerous weapon,” which includes a machine gun.1 However, an exception applies for any person with a valid permit to possess a machine gun.2

Federal law requires machine guns to be registered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), and generally prohibits the transfer or possession of machine guns manufactured after May 19, 1986.3 In December 2018, ATF finalized a rule to include bump stocks within the definition of a machine gun subject to this federal law, meaning that bump stocks will be generally banned as of March 26, 2019.4